Year-Ender 2025: In 2025, Palestinian cinema leapt from the margins to the international spotlight. They earned acclaim, awards, recognition. Films from Palestine and collaborations with international filmmakers took audiences on journeys rarely seen before.
Across global festivals from Cannes to Venice, Toronto to Doha, these films highlighted the resilience, pain, hope of a people whose stories have too often been overlooked.
This year has shown Palestinian cinema is no longer just a voice from the sidelines. It is shaping conversations and winning awards.
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The power of personal tragedy
One of the most talked-about films of the year is “The Voice of Hind Rajab”, directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. The film reconstructs the harrowing last hours of six-year-old Hind Rajab, who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in January 2024.
Using an actual audio recording of a phone call from inside the car where Hind was trapped with her family, the film immerses viewers in her final moments
Premiering at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, the film earned the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize and received a standing ovation that lasted over 20 minutes.
It continued its award-winning journey at Cannes in 2025 and is Tunisia’s official submission for the 2026 Academy Awards.
A Golden Globe nomination in the Best Non-English Language Film category has further cemented its place in global cinema.
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Humour amid hardship
Not all Palestinian films of 2025 focus solely on tragedy. “Once Upon a Time in Gaza”, directed by brothers Arab and Tarzan Nasser, mixes dark humor with the lived realities of Gaza in 2007.
Its premiere at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section earned the Best Director Award. Later, the Cairo International Film Festival recognized it with three major honours, including Best Arab Feature and Best Actor for Majd Eid.
In Doha, both Majd Eid and co-lead Nader Abd Alhay shared the Best Performance Award. The film was released in Egyptian cinemas on 17 December 2025.
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Documenting displacement and solidarity
The documentary “No Other Land” stood out for its collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers. Co-directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, the film follows the forced displacement of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, West Bank. It also highlights bond between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist.
Its impact was immediate. It earned the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2025. Earlier, it had won the Panorama Audience Award and the Berlinale Documentary Award at the 2024 Berlinale.
The filmmakers’ calls for a ceasefire and an end to apartheid sparked controversy with some politicians condemning their speeches, and one director even facing death threats in Israel.
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Ambitious historical epics
2025 also saw grand historical narratives. “Palestine 36”, written and directed by Annemarie Jacir, is a sweeping historical drama set during the 1936-39 Arab Revolt. Despite delays caused by the war in Gaza, Jacir insisted on filming in Palestine and Jordan rather than relocating, preserving the authenticity of the landscape.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to a 20-minute standing ovation. It is Palestine’s official submission for the 2026 Academy Awards and represents the boldest Palestinian cinematic undertaking in years.
Intense family dramas
In a starkly different approach, “I’m Glad You’re Dead Now” by Tawfeek Barhom is a minimalist drama set mostly in a single room. It tells the story of two estranged brothers reuniting after a family tragedy, exploring survivor’s guilt, resentment, and unresolved trauma.
Critics praised its “claustrophobic intensity”. It won the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film.
Stories of youth and resistance
Cherien Dabis’ “All That’s Left of You” focuses on the First Intifada of 1988. Through the eyes of a teenager named Noor, swept into a protest in Nablus, the film captures the bravery and vulnerability of youth during violent conflict.
Premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, it won the Silver Yusr for Feature Film at the Red Sea International Film Festival. Jordan submitted the film as its official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards and it was shortlisted for Best International Feature Film.
The resilience of everyday life
Some films celebrated life and resilience amid devastation. “One More Show” by Mai Saad and Ahmed Al-Danaf documents the Free Gaza Circus.
The 74-minute documentary won the Youssef Cherif Rizkallah Audience Award at Cairo International Film Festival and channels hope and humanity through performance art.
Similarly “Gaza: Doctors Under Attack” directed by Karim Shah highlights the courage of Palestinian medical workers operating under siege.
Expanding voices through anthologies
The “From Ground Zero+” initiative led by Rashid Masharawi expanded the 2024 anthology into longer works. These films from 20-minute documentaries to full-length features depict life under siege in Gaza with raw intimacy:
– The Clown of Gaza
– Citizen Osama
– Colors Under the Sky
– Very Small Dreams
– Hassan
– Gaza to Oscar
– Sama
Palestinian films in 2025 show that cinema can be a bridge between worlds. These films have sparked conversations worldwide amid the ongoing genocide on their land.